Develop Bugs

[Q] What exactly do I need to develop for the Android platform?

I'm sure things will sail smoothly once I can just get to the programming environment... thing is, that's a trial in itself.
From what I gather, all I'll need is the SDK+ADT plugin for Eclipse... and Eclipse Helios.
...yet they don't exactly make it clear cut as to which of all this stuff I actually need to have a compatible Helios.

Depends on what you want to develop
ROMs? Kernels? Apps/Games?
I'm trying my hand at Unity 3D (program used on Shadowgun). Looks simple enough but is hard as hell to get anything working. Most I could do is a couple of platforms and a stationary character :S
I'll upload the APK and you can have a look. Its nothing special though. I'm gonna try and do some more work on it though and get a working build done
Im hopeless at using Winrar so its 2 seperate Rar files. Unpack first one then unpack second one when prompted.

CTU_Loscombe said:
Depends on what you want to develop
ROMs? Kernels? Apps/Games?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apps/Games.

Eclipse is a modular IDE, with lots of plugins to develop in many different languages. You can download any of those packages, since you'll have to download the Android ADT Plugin as an external repository later anyways. Thing is, those prepackaged Eclipse installers set you up with the latest kit for your platform of choice so you can start coding. It would be little wonder if they added an "Eclipse for Android Developers" in the future.
Btw the latest Eclipse, which is the one you're downloading from the Eclipse website, is Eclipse Indigo. Beware that Eclipse is a huge beast, it needs lots of resources and the interface is quite a bit convoluted.
Swypesation

TLRtheory said:
Apps/Games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For games I'd say Unity but its quite expensive. I torrented it for testing purposes as i know Im never gonna make anything that works.
Eclipse is good for app development providing you are good at Java
http://www.appinventor.mit.edu/
This is a good little tool to mess about with as well. Allows you to make apps within your browser

Logseman said:
Eclipse is a modular IDE, with lots of plugins to develop in many different languages. You can download any of those packages, since you'll have to download the Android ADT Plugin as an external repository later anyways. Thing is, those prepackaged Eclipse installers set you up with the latest kit for your platform of choice so you can start coding. It would be little wonder if they added an "Eclipse for Android Developers" in the future.
Btw the latest Eclipse, which is the one you're downloading from the Eclipse website, is Eclipse Indigo. Beware that Eclipse is a huge beast, it needs lots of resources and the interface is quite a bit convoluted.
Swypesation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Convoluted" seems to be a good overall word to describe this whole experience.
When I can't just easily get to a programming environment, they should have a more direct option.

[Lib][Java/JAR] RegIOLib - Java/Registry In/Out Communications Lib

Hey there,
I thought it was time to release something new
A bit of background storyline:
My last projects were all VB/.Net programs, and they were somewhat great, sure. But I was missing the Linux portability and the programs aren't available on all Windows version - Which bugged me a lot. So I finally started coding in Java again! I'm also porting Universal Android Toolkit to Java, so I can easily create a Linux version of that as well.
(If you want to make that happen faster, please donate to me. I managed to fix my laptop, but I've only got a 60GB HDD and I need that much space alone for Windows and I have no income, I'm only 16 )
Anyways, now that you know where I'm coming from, as I'm porting Universal Android Toolkit to Java, I need access to the registry to save the application's settings and easily access them. But unlike .Net languages, Java doesn't have built-in support for this kind of operation, so I looked around and grabbed bits and pieces of code and stuck them together into a Java Class Library.
Thus, RegIOLib was born.
It's licensed under the GPL 3.0 (License info included in the source).
Downloads
Sourceforge
Source Code
http://github.com/Beatsleigher/RegIOLib
EDIT:
I forgot to mention the following: To get access to the Windows registry, the application needs to be started with administrative rights!
You can either achieve this by starting the app via a launcher (Which is what I tempt to do) or by right-clicking the file and allowing it to run as admin.

Beatsleigher said:
It's licensed under the GPL 3.0 (License info included in the source).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So closed source applications may not use it?

nikwen said:
So closed source applications may not use it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course they can use it
Just add a link to this thread and my website, done.
But if you're coming from some major company or something, then I would like something more

Beatsleigher said:
Of course they can use it
Just add a link to this thread and my website, done.
But if you're coming from some major company or something, then I would like something more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to the GPL they can't because it requires the source code of derivative work to be published. That's the "problem" with that license if you use it for libraries.
Due to that the LGPL exists.

http://www.tldrlegal.com/license/gnu-general-public-license-v3-(gpl-3)
Limited commercial use. Must include source code. So no, GPL libraries and closed source applications do not mix.
An inelegant solution (which is the one I have always used actually) is to save settings in a file in %APPDATA%, no admin rights are required to edit files in there, or roll your own registry library for the application. Or Beatsleigher could LGPL it, but its his project, his license, I think he has full right to stick it under GPL if he wants to.
Although I dont think saving into a registry key is really cross platform Neither is %APPDATA% but using the %APPDATA% method is simple file read/write so on a cross platform application you can simply change the filepath dependent on the current execution environment.
System.getenv("APPDATA") will return the filepath for the current users APPDATA folder on windows. System.getProperty("user.home") works on linux and I think OSX to get the home directory. I dont think user.home works properly on windows. But it should be easy to switch between the 2 methods, add on an extra bit for where your settings file is and detect which to use at runtime.
Disadvantage (and to some advantage, depends on what the application is doing and whether the author likes it or not) is that saving configuration files as actual files means the user can play around with them. APPDATA is by default a hidden folder. But chances are most users dont even know what the registry is so in a way your settings might be more secure left in there.
Even possible to have an application load settings from the registry on windows and files on everything else.

SixSixSevenSeven said:
Or Beatsleigher could LGPL it, but its his project, his license, I think he has full right to stick it under GPL if he wants to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course, he has that right. It's his code. The GNU even collected some reasons for sticking with the GPL.
Just wanted to point out that the GPL says that all derivative work (which includes programs that use libraries licenced under the GPL) must be GPL'ed (and therefore open source'd), too.

SixSixSevenSeven said:
http://www.tldrlegal.com/license/gnu-general-public-license-v3-(gpl-3)
Limited commercial use. Must include source code. So no, GPL libraries and closed source applications do not mix.
An inelegant solution (which is the one I have always used actually) is to save settings in a file in %APPDATA%, no admin rights are required to edit files in there, or roll your own registry library for the application. Or Beatsleigher could LGPL it, but its his project, his license, I think he has full right to stick it under GPL if he wants to.
Although I dont think saving into a registry key is really cross platform Neither is %APPDATA% but using the %APPDATA% method is simple file read/write so on a cross platform application you can simply change the filepath dependent on the current execution environment.
System.getenv("APPDATA") will return the filepath for the current users APPDATA folder on windows. System.getProperty("user.home") works on linux and I think OSX to get the home directory. I dont think user.home works properly on windows. But it should be easy to switch between the 2 methods, add on an extra bit for where your settings file is and detect which to use at runtime.
Disadvantage (and to some advantage, depends on what the application is doing and whether the author likes it or not) is that saving configuration files as actual files means the user can play around with them. APPDATA is by default a hidden folder. But chances are most users dont even know what the registry is so in a way your settings might be more secure left in there.
Even possible to have an application load settings from the registry on windows and files on everything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, as far as I'm aware, only Windows has a registry. I could be wrong though. In the past 5-6 years that I've been developing, I was only developing in VB.Net - A decision that I highly regret nowadays
But I'm so used to being able to save my settings in the registry where no 'normal' user can modify them and cause the program to misbehave, that I'd like my java programs to do so as well.
And seeming as Universal Android Toolkit is a big, big project (I've been developing it for over a year now and I'm constantly adding new features and now I'm porting it to Java making it really hard to release, but I'll get there eventually.
As soon as I've got the major stuff sorted out, I think I'm ready to release a Pre-Release candidate for testing and bug-fixing, but like I said, I'm still having some trouble and then I need to figure out a way to get those settings saved on Mac OS and Linux machines, for which I've already written some classes, but only to install ADB and stuff... And I'm getting side-tracked again, aren't I?
Anywhosers, I think I'm going to leave it under the GPL, even though you're right and that that means that closed-source programs can't use it, but I'll think of something. Even if it's a commercial license, say someone pays 2$ per program. I don't know.
But for the thing you said with %AppData%, what you can do on Linux machines, is (in Java)
Code:
private final String userProf = System.getenv("user.home");
final File tempDir = new File(userProf + "/Temp/(.)<Program>/temp.file");
private void setupTempDir() {
Path tmp = tempDir.getParentFile().getPath();
if (!tmp.exists()) {
tempDir.createNewFile();
}
}
That should solve that problem, then you COULD create some sort of settings file, but then it's just a pain to get and save the settings when you're using multiple GUIs, like me.
And then there's another way of doing that in Android apps, which I haven't figured out yet, mainly because I haven't even started with Android apps and I don't have the hard drive space to do so :/

Beatsleigher said:
Anywhosers, I think I'm going to leave it under the GPL, even though you're right and that that means that closed-source programs can't use it, but I'll think of something. Even if it's a commercial license, say someone pays 2$ per program. I don't know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, no problem. The GPL, however, says that you may not relicense it. :/
(All of my comments I've posted yet sound as if the GPL is a bad license. To clarify that: I don't think so. I prefer it for applications, but use the LGPL or Apache v2 license for libraries.)

Beatsleigher said:
(If you want to make that happen faster, please donate to me. I managed to fix my laptop, but I've only got a 60GB HDD and I need that much space alone for Windows and I have no income, I'm only 16 )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm 17 and I have a 64GB SSD. C#, C++ works great.
Anyway 700 lines of license make no sense. The same about the portable registry library for linux. Could you tell the purpose of it?

Useless guy said:
I'm 17 and I have a 64GB SSD. C#, C++ works great.
Anyway 700 lines of license make no sense. The same about the portable registry library for linux. Could you tell the purpose of it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPL isn't 700 lines last time I checked, also I left a link to a simple description of it above (I do love tldrlegal).
There is no registry for linux, no one mentioned a portable registry for linux.

SixSixSevenSeven said:
GPL isn't 700 lines last time I checked, also I left a link to a simple description of it above (I do love tldrlegal).
There is no registry for linux, no one mentioned a portable registry for linux.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did
Anyways, now that you know where I'm coming from, as I'm porting Universal Android Toolkit to Java, I need access to the registry to save the application's settings and easily access them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

nikwen said:
OK, no problem. The GPL, however, says that you may not relicense it. :/
(All of my comments I've posted yet sound as if the GPL is a bad license. To clarify that: I don't think so. I prefer it for applications, but use the LGPL or Apache v2 license for libraries.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm working on a license for it and any other such things. So I'll release it again for commercial and closed-source programs when it's done.
And yes, it does sound like you think it's a bad license. But meh. Everyone has their own opinion, I guess.

Useless guy said:
I'm 17 and I have a 64GB SSD. C#, C++ works great.
Anyway 700 lines of license make no sense. The same about the portable registry library for linux. Could you tell the purpose of it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPL isn' 700 lines.
That's cool for you, that you've got that stuff. I don't. Anyways, I'm getting away from .Net languages, and C# is easy for anyone to learn. Especially if they're coming from VB, like me.
C++ isn#'t my kinda thing, as you can't natively create GUIs in it. You always need some kind of library for that sort of stuff.
And I didn't intend this for use with Linux. Everyone that has basic knowledge of these operating systems knows that Linux, BSD, Mac OS etc. don't have registries. And I never even noted that I'm attempting to use registry stuff in Linux. I said I'm porting Universal Android Toolkit to JAVA, and that I need access to the WINDOWS registry to save the application's settings in the reg, so that users can actively change the settings if the program starts misbehaving.

Useless guy said:
I did
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I said JAVA, not Linux. What I probably did say, however, is that I'm porting my program to Java so that it can easily be ported to said OSs. But never that I'm attempting to save my settings in the registry in all OSs.

Beatsleigher said:
C++ isn#'t my kinda thing, as you can't natively create GUIs in it. You always need some kind of library for that sort of stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lolwhat?

Beatsleigher said:
C++ isn#'t my kinda thing, as you can't natively create GUIs in it. You always need some kind of library for that sort of stuff..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Errm, those libraries are written in C or C++... native code such as C and C++ are the only languages which can create GUI's. VB.net/C#/anything else .NET use libraries too which in the case of WinForms and WPF are just wrappers around win32 functionality implemented in C.

Beatsleigher said:
And yes, it does sound like you think it's a bad license. But meh. Everyone has their own opinion, I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love the GPL. I use it for everything (except libraries).
But I'll stop the off-topic now.

Has anyone ever successfully compiled xdebug to work with php?

I've played with a couple of different server apps that include a basic php/lighttpd setup such as bitweb server or Servers Ultimate Pro and they work great. I understand android isn't really a full blown platform necessarily meant for development work, but I'm curious if anyone has ever gotten a version of xdebug working with any of these php bundles?
I tried grabbing a cross compiler but I'm not sure how to get the xdebug configure script to finish without errors using the android cross compiler (it's dying trying to find the ld linker that goes with the cross compiler)
SW

android 2.1 app dev environment

i find that i prefer using my nst more & more.. in fact, my swanky but gas-guzzling tablet has been all but discarded, except for watching movies in bed.
i am going to find open-source apps, and recompile the latest sources specifically for android 2.1 eclair, as i find that most devs and google market are removing eclair from their horizons. i am particularly interested in small-sized efficient apps. i do use quite a lot of them, but mostly very old versions.
for this purpose, i want to setup a eclair-dedicated dev environment. i am happy to share all apps that i compile & use myself. hopefully, many others might find useful too.
where i need your help is with advice on how best to setup a tiny/efficient (not bloatware) dev environment, bearing in mind that it will only be used to recompile apks for eclair on b&w eink. i notice that some of you are very efficient in creating extremely small apk, and this is what i want to do.

platform:
on my debian wheezy host, i installed virtual box and created a debian wheezy minimal guest. virtualbox guest additions has significantly altered my perception of virtualbox. i had been using kvm previously.
pre-requisites:
install openjdk-7-jdk
dev environment:
google lists android studio as the only official one. it is huge, bulky, cumbersome bloatware imho. i think this is targetted at the new kids on the block not used to terminal environments. but this seems to be my only option for now, till i hear from you lot of some simpler dev tools.
my requirement is very simple, all i need to do is, change some code somewhere and compile.
so i downloaded android studio, and unpacked it in a directory reserved for my android development. loading it is like watching windows booting up! and then it downloads android sdk, which is another huge bloatware, particularly since it insists on downloading all the crap-lollipop-ware which i have no intention of using.
so my dev environment is almost ready! if anyone has suggestions or tips, or want more detailed instructions/commands, please comment..

Don't forget that the NST only runs 2.1 Éclair apps, as its OS is 2.1 Éclair.
This sounds like a great project - I also prefer my NTG (in fact, I'm on it right now!).

veloo said:
for this purpose, i want to setup a froyo-dedicated dev environment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check requirements for compiling Eclair/Froyo itself, SDK version doesn't matter since it supports all API versions.
Personally I'd use a virtual machine with oldest supported 32-bit *buntu release- better chance that required packages versions will be present in official repos.
EDIT:
This may help, discussion was related to kernel compilation however there should be link to quick tutorial about CM6 (Froyo) compilation- http://forum.samdroid.net/f28/setup-kernel-build-environment-using-virtualbox-windows-7-64-bit-4007/ (sorry if 10-sec advertisement pops up)

thanks folks.. my bad! indeed it is eclair, and not froyo. i have updated my op above.

gen_scheisskopf said:
EDIT:
This may help, discussion was related to kernel compilation however there should be link to quick tutorial about CM6 (Froyo) compilation- http://forum.samdroid.net/f28/setup-kernel-build-environment-using-virtualbox-windows-7-64-bit-4007/ (sorry if 10-sec advertisement pops up)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that discussion seems to be about iphone development

veloo said:
that discussion seems to be about iphone development
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, it's for Samsung i5700 Spica (latest official firmware- 2.1)

all that talk about crosstool toolchain arm-iphone-linux-gnueabi got me confused.. sorry!

No problem. Back then we had to use whatever was available and compiling Crosstool-NG was easier option than to get precompiled Android toolchain.
Anyway check links in the thread, there were tutorials about compiling Froyo from scratch (note: samdroid's wiki is down) and IIRC Eclair had about the same requirements

thx but my objective atmo is not compiling froyo or eclair or any roms. it is purely to compile apps for use on the nook.

I'm aware of that. IMO link provided can help you in preparation of build environment

At work I use Android Studio to build apps, but at home I still just use Notepad++, the Windows tools in the Android SDK and the (ancient) Borland make.
I probably will migrate to Android Studio at home eventually.
Still, coding by hand you learn a lot about things.

In the old days for text editing very large data files I used VE & Vedit plus the old Norton commander file manager, I could select any sort of columns within a text file in VE, hex, plus grep commands. Or ms-word macros with VB APIs if needed too. But these were for huge files from publishers. For most things though I had been using Notepad++ or UltraEdit for years. In recent past I hardly use them, instead I use Sublime Text Editor for almost everything, I like the recent portable version which launches fast. Also if I'm debugging live with breakpoints & watches & changing code in PhpStorm, the open instance of Sublime updates code as I work in PhpStorm. I tried a few modern text editors in the same league which supposedly have bested Sublime, but I keep going back to it for most coding or text. Apart from php and various text formats, Sublime handles & color codes for other types too like html, JavaScript etc. Interesting discussion on modern text/code editors & IDEs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K-TalfLFas

Hey a nice effort to build apps optimized for Nook Simple Touch.
Renate, Marspeople, have already created some nifty apps for our device.
How about you update the OP with links to their apps(with due credit to them and express permission for the same) besides sharing your own collection of NST optimised apps ?

I'm totally noob at this, My little dream it's develope a clock app for the nook but I'm stuck in "hello world" when I try to compile my app in Android Sudio 2.1.3 it throws this error: "uses-sdk:minSdkVersion 7 cannot be smaller than version 9 declared in library" Can somebody help me?
I

Use SDK suite ver. 9 and higher or declare in library, that you're using ver.7.

Necropost, I know, but do you hhave links to posts by the people mentioned, with the apps they've developed?
aiamuzz said:
Hey a nice effort to build apps optimized for Nook Simple Touch.
Renate, Marspeople, have already created some nifty apps for our device.
How about you update the OP with links to their apps(with due credit to them and express permission for the same) besides sharing your own collection of NST optimised apps ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Does Astoria Project available on 10581?

I really need to know. I'm still on 10512

It doesn't appear to be working properly on my device. I updated my 1520 from build 10536 with some APKs installed and running correctly, but after updating to 10581 the apps show in my list and immediately crash upon launch.

So bad ? is there a way to convert downloaded apks to w10m by recompiling codes?

Not working for me too

Way to take the one gleaming light of hope that 10 mobile had and squash it, along with my willingness to keep using that OS.

I'm sure they will get it back as soon as they fix performance issues.

I'm not, but I think there's a good chance.

The only thing we need to get it back to work is new windows bridge package that will allow us to connect to android inside phone. Btw. last update killed apps already installed on phone too

MS Demoed the new Project Astoria in a small, private partner day and they sai that now they can compile the Android app TO Windows 10 Mobile app and the android on the phone is no longer needed. I can't confirm this nor disprove.

balcsida said:
MS Demoed the new Project Astoria in a small, private partner day and they sai that now they can compile the Android app TO Windows 10 Mobile app and the android on the phone is no longer needed. I can't confirm this nor disprove.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting to see whether Android app source code needed for that or it can build a Windows 10 app directly from APK. The latter would be huge (though less realistic, I guess)

ap3rus said:
Interesting to see whether Android app source code needed for that or it can build a Windows 10 app directly from APK. The latter would be huge (though less realistic, I guess)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll say there's no chance to build appx from apk. Unless MS develops a miracle tool, the devs will need to build the apps for w10. As long as we have the app source code, that's cool. If not, then it all comes down to the original developer.

Ruwin said:
I'll say there's no chance to build appx from apk. Unless MS develops a miracle tool, the devs will need to build the apps for w10. As long as we have the app source code, that's cool. If not, then it all comes down to the original developer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android app (which doesn't use NDK) is simply a java binary, which is resources + java bytecode which can simply be decompiled into java source code which then can be compiled into appx - nothing magical. Tricky part comes with apps using NDK, that's something much harder to work with in this context.

Ruwin said:
I'll say there's no chance to build appx from apk. Unless MS develops a miracle tool, the devs will need to build the apps for w10. As long as we have the app source code, that's cool. If not, then it all comes down to the original developer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking the appx would just be a containerized call to the astoria vm.

ap3rus said:
Android app (which doesn't use NDK) is simply a java binary, which is resources + java bytecode which can simply be decompiled into java source code which then can be compiled into appx - nothing magical. Tricky part comes with apps using NDK, that's something much harder to work with in this context.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe there is a reason why Astoria uses some form of Hyper-V implementation. And it's just amazing to see Hyper-V on ARM.

plantroon said:
I believe there is a reason why Astoria uses some form of Hyper-V implementation. And it's just amazing to see Hyper-V on ARM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope in the near future this could be hacked to run any arm system virtualized in the phone

Astoria on W10 Mobile Build 10586?
Anyone try installing Project Astoria subsystem files on W10Mobile build 10586 and got it working? Looks like MS still hasn't made it available in this latest build yet - hope this is not permanent...

How did you get W10M 10586?

Darrian said:
How did you get W10M 10586?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
How?

Opus Dei said:
+1
How?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe he mispelled the build number, or he is a beta tester

Is Project Astoria Dead?
Hey guys,
The future of Astoria isn't looking real good right now. Check out Windows Central, titled:
"/microsofts-project-astoria-delayed" or sub-directory.
(sorry, I'm a newbie, can't post links yet.)
They seem to have several good 'insider' sources.
-xdaman21